Surfactants are a class of materials that have two groups present in the same molecule that are insoluble in each other in pure form, For example, oil is insoluble in water, but when an oil soluble group is on a molecule with a water soluble group surface active agents or surfactants result.
The literature is full of surface active agents that have a fatty hydrophobe and a water soluble hydrophilic portion. Polysorbates arte one class.
Wikiopedia defines polysorbate as an oily liquid. It is a class of emulsifiers used in some pharmaceuticals and food preparation. It is often used in cosmetics to solubilise essential oils into water based products. Polysorbates are derived from PEG-ylated sorbitan (a derivative of sorbitol) esterified with fatty acids. Surfactants that are esters of plain (non-PEG-ylated) sorbitan with fatty acids are usually referred to by the name Span
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,290 to Stockberger issued Oct. 27, 1981 teaches that sorbitan fatty acid esters can be prepared by forming anhydro sorbitol (a mixture of sorbitans, isosorbide, and unreacted sorbitol) by acid-catalyzed anhydrization, then reacting the resulting anhydro sorbitol with a fatty acid in the presence of a base at a temperature not exceeding about 215° C. Use of temperatures not over 215° C. results in products having substantially less color than those obtained at higher temperatures.
Polysorbates are emulsifiers, but are sticky on the hair and skin and do not provide appreciable softness, conditioning or antistatic properties.
Silicone, is another group of compounds that in pure form are insoluble in oil and in water, placing them together in a molecule results in a amphillic material. Such materials are referred to as dimethicone copolyol.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,888 to Lee et all, incorporated herein by reference. This invention relates to a method of making a silicone polyether comprising (I) reacting a mixture comprising an olefin functional polyether, an organohydrogensiloxane, and a homogeneous transition metal hydrosilylation catalyst, and (II) subjecting the product of (I) to hydrogen gas. The method of this invention reduces the amount of olefinic species present, which are precursors to odorous compounds. This approach has several drawbacks. While the hydrogenation does lower the amount of vinyl groups present, the resulting saturated compound has very little difference in boiling point and is not an improvement in odor.
We have surprisingly found that tripolymers of alkyl polysorbates, dimethicone copolyol and succinic anhydride when reacted in the proper ratio using a specific process, give polymers with unique properties, providing wetting, softness hydrophilicity and durability, heretofore unachievable.